The 10 Best Massage Guns of 2024, Tested by Men’s Health

Why Should I Buy a Massage Gun?

Invest in a high-quality massage gun and you can use it before training to prime your muscles for a session, or post-workout to ward off any potential DOMS. It will help you recover faster, boost your circulation and lymphatic drainage, increase your flexibility and extend your range of motion – ultimately improving your performance across the board. Think of it as foam rolling turned up to eleven.

‘Percussive therapy has a variety of benefits, helping to prevent body aches and pains, greatly reducing muscle tension in seconds, boosting mobility and range of motion, and increasing blood flow to the area to reduce soreness, tightness and pain,’ explains Dr Jason Wersland, chiropractor and Therabody founder. ‘It can also assist with accelerating the repair and growth of tissues.’

How Do I Use a Massage Gun?

Using a massage gun is the definition of simple. Just point the gun at your fleshy target – around an inch away from your skin over whichever muscle you’re trying to loosen or warm up – and hit the trigger for instant relief. Move slowly up and down the length of the muscle for around 30 seconds – if you find a particularly sore spot (or ‘trigger point’), spend a little more time on it, but there’s no need to apply more pressure. Try not to wince!

Keep your gun away from your neck (decapitation ain’t the aim here, lads) and avoid bone and any sprains. Start on the lowest setting and build up once you get the hang of it. Don’t overdo it – a few minutes at a time is plenty – or your muscles may end up sorer.

What Should I Look for in a Massage Gun?

When you’re browsing the best massage guns, ideally your purchasing priorities should centre on noise control, battery life and quality. Generally, a higher price tag will indicate a more reliable product and, when fully charged, a decent massage gun should last for a few days to a week, based on around 15 minutes’ use per day.

To suss out the power of your massage gun, check the amplitude and, if listed, the stall force. These two specs together indicate how deep a massage a device can offer.

What is Amplitude?

Amplitude in a massage gun refers to how deep it can reach into your muscles. It’s measured in millimetres, and generally, the higher the measurement, the deeper the massage.

Top quality massage guns typically boast 12-16mm of amplitude, while more budget options will most likely hover in the 8-10mm range.

What is Stall Force?

Stall force is essentially how much pressure you can apply to a massage gun during use on your muscles before the motor stalls.

Sometimes also known as torque, stall force is usually measured in pounds, and ranges tend to fall around the 20-30lbs mark for cheaper options, and 40-50lbs for standard massage guns. Anything higher and you’re dealing with a premium product.

The higher the stall force, the more pressure you can apply. Opt for a higher stall force if you prefer a deep-tissue massage.